Boruto and Eastern Wonderland
by Ala Alba EC
Summary: In the time of peace for the five shinobi nations, Amegakure's plan to take some for themselves summoned the entire Gensokyo into into the world. Corrupting influence of the youkai is spreading conflict into Ame ninja's heart, as the history of shinobi slowly unraveled an ancient connection to these newcomers. Meanwhile, Boruto Uzumaki tries to make name for himself.
1. Chapter 1

_This is the Hidden Village among the Leaf._

_Years ago, the village was attacked by the great beast._

_By the sacrifice of the village leader, the beast was subdued._

_Sealed inside a baby boy, the beast was left jailed._

_Said boy was then facing a great hardship from being a jailer._

_Said boy then grew into one of the greatest heroes of the continent._

_His name was Naruto Uzumaki._

_However, this story is not about that boy._

_That boy had grown into a man, and that man was later having a son._

_That son was just a boy, and his story hasn't even begun._

_This would be his story._

**88888**

After the battle against the last Otsutsuki, the world was in general peace.

In general, as the prosperity of the five villages was not shared among the lesser villages. When great nations enjoyed their (honestly) earned luxury, it was at expense of the smaller villages that were left in tatter as the greater nations fought their war, whether the people of the greater nation realized it or not. Just like what Nagato had harshly reminded to the young Anruto Uzumaki in their confrontation.

Amegakure was left without leader after Pain and Akatsuki was destroyed. Takigakure had lost their main bargaining chip and trump card the moment their Jinchuriki was killed. Kusagakure was all but extinct because of the creature known as Zetsu was tainting their inner politic for sake of funding the Fourth Shinobi War. The stranglers were scrapping leftovers of the five villages' prosperity just for sake of surviving, and resentment bred within these people's hearts as one could expected.

But, the alliance between the five nations had crippled any attempt of invasion toward the villages, and no menace was raised beyond some minor banditry. In the end, prosperity was only for those who had backing of the daimyo's mission fees, and those who did not were left as scavengers. It was a sad truth of a system governed by strength of military and monopoly of feudal power.

Nevertheless, even though they had never obviously showed it, the lesser villages were always planning for the fall of the greater nations. The shinobi of Amegakure had found several knowledge of the Sage of the Six Paths that was unwittingly left behind by Pain. Enticed by the stories of the land beyond from where the first wielder of chakra hailed, the desperate ninja sought the ancient power of their ancestors. Gods and demons and monsters, any of those that could sway the power balance to their advantage.

Unfortunately, power without control would only end as a disaster. The power they tried to call was the power that naturally an antithesis of mankind itself.

Yori was an Amegakure shinobi, born and bred in this land that never seemed to stop raining. When the great five villages had their war, Amegakure was trapped in the crossfire. Countless children orphaned and soldiers driven mad because of the endless battles that smashed over them like sea waves.

He was one of those who believed that Pain would surely bring peace to their village. He was one of those who witnessed the birth of Akatsuki; the true Akatsuki. Students of the famed Toad Hermit Jiraiya, the trio that founded Akatsuki was the first who could bring the sun into the forever cloudy sky of Amegakure. He looked up on them so much, he became ninja so one day he could join their crusade against the iron fist of Hanzo and brought even a shred of prosperity into the people.

But Hanzo had left them with nothing but more suffering the moment he forced Nagato to kill Yahiko. He was a young boy back then, and it made him feel powerless when he heard of the news. Nagato was a poor successor, but no one doubted his heart. It was the outside influence that made people distrustful of the new Akatsuki, and it was proven when there was no trace of the old Akatsuki but Nagato and Konan. Amegakure was loyal to the cause of the trio for peace, not to the Akatsuki. Nevertheless, they still regarded Pain and Konan in reverence.

In his youthful idealism, he trained to be a shinobi so he could use his strength for that cause. But when Pain attacked Konoha and the subsequent Shinobi War had drained hope from his dream, he could no longer see the savior that would bring the sun back.

And so, he and his comrades sought after Nagato's last heritages. Anything, anything at all. Seven years digging in Pain's headquarter that was forbidden before his death, everyone almost giving up when they finally unearth an old manuscript written on a stone tablet.

The land beyond this land. Another world all together, even. It was a forgotten heritage, from the time before even the Sage of Six Path, from before even his mother the first user of chakra. It was the time when beasts with power to tear the sky apart with one hand and bring down heaven's punishment were of norm.

'In this world, if you're not strong, no one will listen to you,' so he and his attempted to tap on this power. A summoning ritual and a sealing technique not unlike those of the Jinchuriki. To bind the power into them, to gain more than a human should have, all of it was necessary.

Meanwhile, a certain world behind a barrier had their sky suddenly ripped apart.

The Hakurei shrine maiden looked up to the sky, her eyes narrowed. What are those guys doing? She thought. For damage on the boundary to go that large, even Yukari wouldn't delegate the task to her fox, no matter how competent she was.

Three streaks of light. So the Yakumo finally jumped into the fray. But when she waited for several more minutes and the gap didn't close, Reimu felt shiver went down of her spine. Something was wrong, so wrong not even Yukari and her posse could subdue it. The shrine maiden immediately abandoned her bamboo broom and flew directly to the tear on the sky.

Yukari strained against this power. A power that somehow familiar, and yet not. A power that trying to pull the entire barrier of Hakurei to its foundation to somewhere unknown. This power was not unlike the very base of this boundary between fantasy and reality, the very source of what the word 'existence' described.

Not many knew it, but Yukari Yakumo was not the only Youkai Sage of Gensokyo. Her power to manipulate boundary was its own limitation; by manipulating boundary, it was inevitable for her to rub shoulder with someone who govern over the concepts that created the boundary in the first place. The boundary of life and death would have 'life' and 'death' as opposition, and the small gap between them was the 'boundary'. Thus, to create the Hakurei Barrier that existed in a boundary, Yukari had to ask for those who govern any possible concept that would become Gensokyo's 'neighbors' for their cooperation, as to not leaving any flaw in the barrier and causing future disputes that would cause danger into its existence. Those who had a direct hand on the creation of Gensokyo were called the Youkai Sages.

Thus, this situation should not happen.

She had calculated everything. This thing that threatened Hakurei Barrier was one of those concepts that she had made an alliance with. The one who governed over this concept was not the kind of person who would just change her thought, for she had reason to erect this barrier and had no reason to destroy it. And if she made it clear she finally had a change of heart anyway, she would announce it with flashy celebration and audacious invitation for those who willing to stop her.

No, this power was familiar, and yet not exactly the same. Like a bloodline that was finally thinned through generations, a descendant of that power would be the most likely culprit of this incident.

"Yukari-sama!"

Ran's desperate cry shook her out of her musing. They could no longer maintain Gensokyo to the foundation of their 'outside' world. Like removing a circle by removing a larger circle outside of it, Gensokyo was pulled from the 'fantasy' of Japan and into an unfamiliar world where the sky was always raining.

Yori was staring in confusion that the result of their summon. A rundown building, seemingly a shrine of some sort, was sitting behind a large red torii gate. What he had expected of the great power was nothing but a long abandoned building, and it drained every remaining speck of hope from his person. He roared and slammed his fist to the ground, glaring vengefully at the red gate and the abandoned shrine.

He then stomped down the cobblestone road that also came with the shrine, intending to vent on his anger at this innocent building. Was the power of Yin Yang Release a failure? Then what did they do wrong? The power of the Six Paths was that of connecting worlds, especially the living and the nirvana. A wheel of reincarnation in which souls were judged to whether continue walking on Earth or enlightened enough to gain the heaven. Or so the manuscript said.

Whatever power it was, Yori did not care. And he could never more uncaring of it when the ritual was a failure.

And so, he stomped pass the torii, only to jerk back in surprise at the strange gate. Behind the gate, he felt like he was entering a water body; a mild discomfort from some sort of resistance but not exactly dangerous. He was curiously trying to touch this 'barrier' with his hand, and now staring in awe as his hand made some ripples on the unseen dome. Still enthralled at it, he once again tried to touch the barrier.

A very delicate hand of a woman suddenly clawing at his arm and pulled him into the barrier with a surprising strength. His comrades were all too late when they realized he was in danger when the barrier turning into a stuff coming from their nightmare. Eyes, red and many, were all staring back at them. As far as they could see, from the ground level to the sky, was a field of eyes staring unblinking in a field of pitch black darkness. The ninja all wanted to scream, but even their throats were frightened to silent.

On the other side of the Hakurei Barrier, Yori was 'interrogated' by monsters.

A fox and a cat were now pressing hot red branding irons to his skin, burning his flesh, and pulling at his muscles. Behind them, watching over the entire process with a very restrained expression of anger, was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

"What did you do?"

The woman asked, and in cue the cat was clawing at the underside of his ribs. His lungs were now cupped by ten long and sharp nails, slowing digging into his organs as the cat slowly pulled them up. He sputtered for a moment, almost giving in to his fear, when he remembered. The time when he begged for food, the time when Hanzo's men took his already moldy bread and stomping on it, the time when Yahiko died protecting his ideal.

In front of her was the one who answered his desperate summoning. And so, he shouted out his answer.

I summoned you to help us, he said. Even in pain, his voice was remarkably clear. The woman was visible taken aback, but she hid it well enough behind her opened fan.

"Help you? You have taken us and our realm just to bind us to your whim?" By that time, it was clear the surprise was coming from the sheer audacity of the ninja instead of being impressed, "Why shouldn't I let my shikigami from devouring here and now?"

He didn't have a counter argument. He was lost and at mercy of these monsters. He could give his and his people's service to this woman, but what make it different from the time with Hanzo? Only his desire of freedom remained in this dying body, and it too would be taken from him also. He slumped, no longer seeing a way out.

"Hey mister. Just what makes you so in despair?"

He looked up, and his eyes met the cat's genuinely curious ones. Even though she had her nails jammed inside his abdomen, her voice and eyes were so innocent. A honest question from his torture technician, just how bizarre this situation could be?

The fox was glowering at the cat, displeased at her for speaking out of turn, but didn't say anything as the woman behind them seemingly letting her be.

"In where I lived, there's only despair, girl. Despair by our own kins' hands, can't even knowing peace."

"Peace? Is that important your 'peace' is, mister?"

"Yes. Our village is always in the crossfire of larger countries' fighting, and so we have to fight too. Because we always have to fight, we have no peace."

They were silent for a moment. Yori started to feel numb, the cat's sharp nails no longer meant anything to him.

"Chen, put him down." It was the woman who spoke. The cat, now dubbed Chen, obediently retracted her nails and stepped away from him. The blond woman was now in front of him, her lower face blocked by her hand fan.

"Unbalance of power was not uncommon," she spoke, slightly regal in manner. "But for the weak to absolutely have no mean to turn the tide is unacceptable for the people of Gensokyo. Tell me, boy... what manner of service you could give us? As you had made us stranded here, it's only fair for you to make some compromise for this inconvenience..."

She listened to the shinobi she tortured on a whim, actually. She would care less for these people, who didn't even know just what kind of enemies of mankind they had summoned.

But there was something about the way he spoke of his plight that made a small pang in her chest. Sight from distant past, a past that she still often saw. There was this girl and her best friend who would go to some adventures, both safe and dangerous. They would visit many places and talk about many things, and the girl's heart then filled with great warmth as her best friend finally smiled after so long. The girl was then separated from her best friends by some strangers, and was confined in a place where she could no longer go having those things.

The girl could no longer fulfill her and her best friend's dream of seeing the world hidden from common eyes. The girl could no longer see her best friend at all.

Inside this solitude, the girl left people's hands to another's hands as they were trying to rebuff what she and her friend saw. In the girl's world, there was no such thing as dream, and thus there was no hope. Such notion was an anathema for this girl, as her very 'existence' was bounded by fantasy that should already be dead. Those people would do just that for sake of validating their own self-worth.

Freedom and peace were proper dreams, thus there was no wrong for the land of fantasy to join in those causes. Nevertheless, youkai were always the enemy of mankind; their reason for doing what they did might not even make any sense for humans. Yukari Yakumo was intrigued of this possible excitement. Would this war-torn village rise from their ruin and become great? Or would it be just like any other footnotes in children's history books? Would this unfortunate people prove themselves worthy of glory that she had never tasted?

She glanced behind her shoulder. Her gap was open for everyone searching for entertainment and information to see the entire interrogation. Or would be, if not for her end decision to cause quite a stir among Gensokyo factions. She inwardly sighed. A proper meeting between Gensokyo leaders and the people of this village should do the trick.

**88888**

"Daimyo of the Land of Wind and his entourage had Suna's ninja protection when they'll cross our border. If there's any bandit, then they should be enough to repel any possible attack. All they need is our approval for passing our border."

"Granted. Next?"

"Our intelligences are reporting that a landlord and her entire cadre of industries was settling in Amegakure territory. It seems the shinobi of Amegakure move made an alliance with this woman named Yukari Yakumo to establish their own nation."

Naruto was silence. Amegakure, it was where Nagato and Konan came from. He never heard much of it other than several clashes with its shinobi when he was still a Genin, but small bits of info he got from here and there all said the place was quite a wasteland even though they highly industrialized. A village that was more like a fortress - because it was surrounded by three major villages, it was a battlefield of many wars between their neighbors. It wasn't strange for them to try getting a betterment for their life.

'Are they trying to establish themselves as the outpost of the nations' trade route? But now they suddenly changing their stance of their long isolationism, people will get suspicious.'

He remembered Konan. She swore that Ame would have their allegiance to Konoha because its people shared his ideal. Sending some envoy should iron their relationship more smoothly, if they truly wished to become the center of mercantilism. And even they did not, the envoy could double as spy network of their possible scheme. Indeed, it was suspicious.

Shikamaru nodded when he spoke of this plan.

"Well, it's not like we're going to suspect them of everything whenever they do something, but better prepare or we'll be sorry. Diplomatic relationship is a little delicate with people like them, so I think you should mostly stay out of this."

"Eh? Don't you believe me, Shikamaru?" Naruto immediately sulked, before puffing his chest indignantly. "After all we got most of our allies because of my diplomatic skill!"

"Unfortunately, these kind of people won't be our friend just by punching them hard enough on the face. We need someone who is patient, soft-spoken, and capable of soothing hearts. The kind that can stand marrying you, to say the least..."

"Does it have to be Hinata, though? I don't wanna her leaving the house too much after the last mission in the Land of Rice. It seems Orochimaru is still obsessed with bloodline limit, especially after the war..."

Shikamaru sighed. He could understand where the worry came from. The fact that Kakashi sort of letting Orochimaru and Sasuke leaving from any retribution might be one of those Hokage mistakes that would forever taint the history record, just like when Hiruzen Sarutobi first let Orochimaru turned traitor. But who can call out the Hokage for being in bed with the Uchiha, when they were quite infamous for their mind-breaking rage over people's disrespect for their self-important ego? At least Sasuke was mostly out of their hair by being Konoha's independent agent, but Orochimaru was still an uncountable probability when it came to affable relationship.

Naruto almost waged a war with the Land of Rice because of that accident, and knowing just how very much like a cockroach in term of the difficulty to kill the Snake Sannin was, the war might go for years. And that would be backward to Naruto's vision of peace, which would make people distrusted his standing over his own (loudly proclaimed) nindo. Dissent was the last thing they had to deal with, especially when their Hokage was in a more... passionate side of temperament.

Though he was getting better at it after he got married with the Hyuuga princess, Naruto was still quite stunned in courtly manner and political intrigue. Subtlety didn't not exist in his vocabulary and, though he got many allies because of his straight-forwardness, several of the more shady factions within and out of the village were always scheming behind his back.

"Fine, fine. Just send her along with some Jounin if you're so worried about it. Or send some message and ask them to come here for the talk. Just let Hinata handle this, end of story."

Again, Naruto sulked.

The next day, he was watching his wife packing her necessities. As usual, she traveled lightly, but she somehow could be prepared for any situation. She looked up at him, already in full gear, and giggled.

"I haven't left, and you miss me already?"

"Don't get ahead of yourself, woman." He grumbled, mostly to himself. "You will walk to a territory that has been hostile since before the Perverted Hermit's time. We don't know how it will go, so I want you to keep your eyes open in this case."

Naruto took her hands with his own, rubbing the back of her palm with his thumbs. Hinata smiled at this and kissed each of his hands.

"I have Kiba-kun and Shino-kun with me. Don't worry, I won't get myself in trouble if I can help it."

Hinata then slung her backpack and walked out of the room. In the kitchen, Himawari dashed to her mother and hugged her legs.

"Stay safe, Mama." She mumbled out through her mother's pants. Hinata affectionately pat her hair before turning to her son. Boruto was a little more reluctant of showing his feeling. Ah, the boy was in that age, huh? 'Girls have cooties' or something like that? Hinata still pet her son's hair and whispered to his ear, "Don't be naughty while I'm gone, okay? Listen to your father and be a good boy." He only grumbled a little, before nodding.

Satisfied, she then turned to Naruto.

"The food is in the fridge. Just reheat it if you're hungry, it will last for two days. The first aid kit is in the usual place and please take down the laundry before the sun set, okay?" receiving a nod, Hinata smiled. "Well, then. Ittekimasu."

"Itterasshai!"

With that, she left the house. The meeting place was the usual front of Konoha's great gate. A team of five, consisting Hinata and her two old teammates, A Yamanaka named Shigure, and a new Chunin named Nami who made a name of herself in the last exam for talking her opponents out to surrender through a combination of smooth talk and intimidation. The second layer of envoy, if in some way Hinata somehow failed with the diplomasion.

Not that Naruto could see; he still had works in the office. Boruto would have his graduation today – and his mood soured that his family was not complete to celebrate it, so Naruto would have to cheer him up later in the day.

"Say..." He begun, "Since Daddy's coming home early, why don't we go out tonight?"

Himawari immediately brightened up, though Boruto still needed some moment to finally melt.

Meanwhile, Amegakure had received Konoha's message the moment it was decided. The people of Ame was slightly more trustful toward Konoha as Konan their angel had decreed that the man named Naruto Uzumaki, who currently in the position of Hokage, might be the man closest to Ame's vision of peace. If they truly wanted to establish alliance between the two villages, then it might be the best time to do so.

Yori was staring in amazement at how fast his wounds were healing. It might not erase the scars, but none of them was bleeding anymore. The medicine of those rabbit youkai was just like how Gensokyo people had spoken - if the disease existed, then they had the cure. He turned to the fox youkai standing in the same room as him. As usual, her hands were concealed under her folded sleeves, and her face was as neutral as her poise. She was the go-to envoy of Gensokyo toward the world outside the Hakurei barrier, as Yukari now taking care of business with the other factions' leader.

He was relieved at this arrangement. Though very intelligent that sometimes he could not follow her explainations, Ran was more straight-forward than her mistress. When with Yukari, the Ame ninja was always breathing more heavily into his gas mask, knowing just how scheming this woman could, even from the short time they were together in this. Seeing the underneath of the underneath might not even sufficient to decipher her line of thought, and it brought great stress into him every time he was talking with the Yakumo head.

"Ran-sama, what do you think of this possible alliance?"

"Strength can come from many places, including allies. The most important of what a developed country need is economical growth, which we can get from other villages. Konoha is with the largest population, thus the need for trade has more value there. The village's location might be a curse if we're seeing it from war side of things, but surrounded by the Land of Stone, Wind, and Fire had its advantage for merchants' toll booth. Konoha's envoy is most likely to make alliance with this country as to make compensation of lower tax against your plan of more developed industry."

"I... see?"

He had lost track of the youkai's rambling at the word 'trade'. Had never worrying about anything more than survival, suddenly thrusted to the front seat of political situation had made him realize that he absolutely blind of this. Ran, noticing that he was lost, repeating her explanation in layman's term.

"They're asking payment for their friendship by asking a lower tax than anyone else."

Yori was thinking about it for a moment.

"Doesn't that mean they're planning to monopolize the trade route?"

She shrugged, as she was watching speculations swirling in the poor man's head. Her order from her mistress was simple; provide the ground for some incidents to happen, because only through conflict an idea could take ground. Peace could not exist without conflict to highlight it and, as Yukari had finally catch up with the history of this land, the main problem of this village over their supposed 'freedom' was because there was no tyranny to fight.

With every information gatherers from all factions dwelled deep into Amegakure's records, with many magicians and chroniclers jumping in at the first chance to research this alien land, with countless spies spreading among the normal populace of the outside villages, it was impossible to miss any sort of knowledge that might buried into this land's history.

Three days were the time needed for some form of stable living and society to be established between Ame and Gensokyo, and another three days for a proper feudal landlord to stand on the Land of Rain with the Hieda clan as the center. Hieda no Akyuu was begrudgingly agreed with arrangement. After the last Shinobi War the reveal of the origin of chakra, it could be said any record pertaining the shinobi world was no longer a secret guarded by some ancient conspiracy.

Not that they need to go that far to understand the problem with this village that had summoned them; the record about the first appearance of Akatsuki was not that far behind the history.

As the one who killed the symbol of this village's peace was killed in a war they had no hand in, their psychological need for 'revenge' for that insult was unfulfilled. With the lost of both 'peace' and 'tyrant', people who always dictated by those two concept no longer had a clue on how to continue their life, and instead searching for something that will fill their void. Only through 'tyranny', 'peace' can be achieved, and since there was no tyranny in their own country, they were searching it outside. Such mentality could no longer be saved, as they nevertheless had repeated what their hated leader Hanzo did. That was why it's called revolution – it was an unbroken cycle.

Well, maybe their worthy messiah had to wait for another generation. Meanwhile, Gensokyo always have time to waste, and it was the youkai's duty to foster some fear in the hearts of men anyway. If they're not working to strengthen the barrier, that's it.

**88888**

His father always saying, "This graduation test isn't the most important thing you have to concentrate on. There are those who proved their worth as shinobi by doing what the instructors in academy had not expected you to do," as a ground on saying the graduation test was actually a front to cull those who can't see what it takes to protect the village. And Boruto always had a nagging suspicion that his father only said that because he only had passed the test by basically failing three times at simple bunshin technique and cheated his way out by stealing forbidden jutsu.

Well, he wasn't planning to end up like that. For one, he wasn't a Jinchuriki with sucky chakra control, thus bunshin technique was no-brainer for him; he had his mother's side of family training him for that after all.

He didn't actually felt any sort of accomplishment toward his graduation, actually. With what kind of family he came from, it would need more than just passing the academy to create a large splash about his name on the history of the world. Become a Hokage? That won't do. Because of the history of the Hokage succession, he would be surprised if one day he would become a Hokage.

Proving self-worth through hard work and determination? A big fat lie when your role in the history was already predetermined.

Though Father said he was going home early, he had no intention to going home. Not now, at least. Since they had studied the history of the village several months pass, suddenly a wave of cynicism washed over him. If it was because of the heritage from the Sage of Six Path that caused his father and Sasuke Uchiha to win against Rabbit Goddess, then what chance other people have? What can they do against him if he came to power? He often pondered about it, but felt there was no one who could give him the answer. Except maybe his mother. But Mother wasn't here, and he regretted he had delayed it for too long to ask her.

Now, the instructor were practically worshipping the ground he walked on when he showing off a little with Kage Bunshin no Jutsu, and his suspicion was confirmed more than ever without anyone to disapprove it. Everyone expected great things from him because of his linage, thus anything he do would be 'just expected'.

So there he was, walking aimlessly in a field of sakura trees. They would have a flower-watching event the next month, when the sakura would bloom for the last time in the year before the petals fall and the trees bare.

But there was already someone in his special space. A woman with green hair and plaid red clothes, holding an umbrella in her right hand, was watching the petals swaying. There was something about the woman that made him feel uneasy. Maybe he should run from there...

The woman turned to him when she felt his presence. Her eyes were red and sharp, her lips in disinterested frown. She looked middle-aged, but her aura was far more ancient. Their eyes met for a longest time, before the woman broke silent.

"Is this your place, boy?"

His tongue seemed swollen when he was trying to speak. But the woman was satisfied enough.

"Then pardon me for intruding. I was looking for a new place for flower to bloom. This country seems like nothing special to mine."

A foreigner? She indeed was unfamiliar, despite being quite stand out in the village.

"It's fine." He croaked out, "Not that many people come to this neighborhood; I just like it here."

"I see. But then you're quite away from home, no? Shouldn't you come home before it's dark? Some evil creature might just carry you off to a world unknown..."

Boruto shivered, though he didn't really know where it came from.

"Maybe, but that will be more interesting for me anyway."

"Hm? Possible death is more interesting?"

"When you everything is just like a script for a drama that you already know the ending, wouldn't that be boring?"

"Do you dislike your destiny, then?"

"Sorta..."

"Will you seek another, then?"

"I...guess?" But then he thought about it twice. What path left for him to go? If not to be the village hero, then would he become a villain just for sake of betraying people's expectation? Would he do that to his father, mother, and sister?

Boruto cleared his throat, and the speaking with a clearer voice.

"No... I want to be a hero in a different way than how people are thinking. I want to become greater than anyone had ever been."

The woman chuckled.

"Brave words, boy. Who knows? Maybe your wish is not that far away in the future, after all."

"What do you mean, Miss?"

"You'll see. I assure you, that day will be the day we'll meet again."

She walked away from the lines of trees. The new ninja called her out, asking for her name. That woman only gave her a smile and said, "Prove that you really have what it takes for your dream. Then, I'll give you my name."

She disappeared in a storm of cherry blossom petals.

**Prologue Ends**

**88888**

**Greeting.**

**The end of **_**Naruto **_**gives me some idea at how the world will continue on, mostly from my dissatisfaction of the ancient backstory of Rikudo Sennin and his mother Kaguya. I really want to justify Kaguya's presence within the narrative of the series, but the sheer ex machina of her entrance put me off because just how detached she is in the overall storyline.**

**My choice in this crossover is because if there's a way to connect the ancient with the current generation, while still holding that strong Japanese aesthetic of both side of the crossover, then there's nothing can do the job better than Touhou. Nothing can have a better ancient beings living in the modern world other than Gensokyo setting, and the jarring dissonance between the two is exactly the way I perceive the subtle conflict between Kaguya and modern ninja.**

**Ah, and since this is following the end of **_**Naruto, **_**it will use the official couples and kids in the epilogue. I will not accept any complain about shipping because honestly romance doesn't matter much in this story compare to political intrigue, the usual ninja battles, and Boruto's shenanigans with Gensokyo's residents. Think of it more like you're reading **_**One Piece**_** and not the usual **_**Naruto **_**fanfictions that got oversatured with pairings. **

**It also doesn't follow any future installment of Boruto that might be coming, so please bear with me. Though I might adopt some future concepts, we'll see how it will go first. For now, this story will follow my interpretation of the characters from what we had seen from the epilogue.**

**Also available in Spacebattles forum with the same title.**

**Enjoy your stay.**


	2. Chapter 2

Today would be the day when his team would be assigned. He had a feeling on how teams would be arranged. Not that it was exactly on his mind right now. Yesterday, he was home late and because he was home late, their plan to go out was busted. Himawari was angry at him, and seeing her get angry with him, made him feel like the biggest jerk in the world. No, what team he was assigned in didn't matter compared to making up with his sister.

And so, he lounged in his seat, disinterest apparent on his face.

"One of these days, your ugly pout will be the only face you can make."

"Shut up, Shikadai... I don't wanna hear that from you of all people."

His classmates were slowly filling the room, along with the appropriate noise level, thus forcing Boruto to awake from his stupor. Loud noises made him unable to concentrate on a scheme of apology for his dearest little sister, and that irritated him so much. Indeed, his mood today could never be cloudier.

"Well, aren't you a grumpy one?" Boruto glanced from his peripheral vision at the Uchiha girl, "I guess you're still a mama's boy, after all."

Now she got his attention, alright. Boruto whirled to Sarada with a tongue-lashing ready, but the girl quickly raised her hands in a no threat gesture. The sudden move left Boruto distracted and speechless, a chance that Sarada used cleverly to continue her speech with a more sympathetic voice.

"I heard from my mother that Hinata-san is going to Amegakure for a mission."

"Yeah. What of that?" Slightly put off by the dismissing tone, Sarada nevertheless pressed on.

"What I'm trying to say is... I kinda understand why you're so upset today. After all, Amegakure is not like the other villages that can accept people of other villages with open arms. We don't know what's going to happen to Hinata-san in the second most hostile territory after Otogakure, I have to reassure you that we all don't what those thing happen."

"Wait... Hinata-san is in Amegakure?" A classmate quipped from their side. Sarada swiftly elbowed the insensitive boy out of the conversation.

The Uzumaki boy was skeptically analyzing his friends' faces, and when noticing no hostility nor teasing from them, he lowered his guard with a sigh.

"Well, there's that. And there's another."

"Something other than Hinata-san going to a hostile territory?" Chouchou asked with a raised eyebrow. Boruto nodded at her.

"Yeah. You see, yesterday Himawari gets angry because I sorta brokeour promise, and she still doesn't want to talk with me." He then twirled his fingers together. "I don't know how to cheer her up."

"You? Breaking your promise? Don't you think you have shamed the Uzumaki name?" Shikadai sniped at him, which embarrassingly he didn't deny.

"It doesn't sound like you. Does it have anything to do with Hinata-san leaving?" Inojin guessed correctly as usual. When the circle of friends tried to voice their condolence and advices for this problem, one of their sensei walked in the classroom.

"We'll talk about this later." Shikadai whispered to him.

Thus, the team assignment. The Uzumaki boy forced himself to be attentive, but sixty graduates per class were too much to stop his yawns from slipping through. After the end of the warring age of shinobi, the citizens of the five nations were exploding because of the following prosperity. Without worry of battle more violent than some road bandits, no more death for the younger productive population of the village, and the amount of births were significantly increased. If in the age of the Fifth Hokage the numbers of students within the class never exceed thirty children, in the Seventh's reign, the class could be twice or even thrice as large.

Of course, such situation made some worry regarding quality vs. quantity debate, and the Jounin decided to take an approach patented by Hiruzen Sarutobi. A strict elimination process, even just for the sake of elimination, was necessary to prove the quality of Konohagakure shinobi. The income of the village was depending on the mission tariff of the landlords and Daimyo, which directly connected with the quality of the shinobi's service. Such culling was inevitable.

Nevertheless, the team assignments were to follow the mold of usual academic distinction result and political arrangement. That would mean the Ino-Shika-Chou trio in one team and...

"Team 12 consists of Boruto Uzumaki, Sarada Uchiha, and Fuhan Lee."

Both Boruto and Sarada turned to the boy, notably silent the entirety of the procession. Turned out he was concentrating on balance his pencil on its sharpened end on his finger while its blunt end was balancing a textbook. Sarada narrowed her eyes, noticing his skin was not dented by the weight of the book on the pencil. Either his skin was as solid as steel or it was his muscle fibers that were incredibly thick; either way Fuhan's infamous training regiment somehow had evolved him beyond that of human.

Noticing the attention he got, Fuhan looked up. Living happily in his own world, he scratched his head when it finally came to him that his team had been called, as his teammates were staring at him with exasperated eyes.

"Let's work hard together?"

After a brief reintroduction as teammates, and not as classmates, they waited for their Jounin sensei together

**88888  
><strong>  
>A first impression in the class yesterday was quite ordinary. Their teacher was an ex-bodyguard of the Sixth Hokage, a grandchild of the Third, and a student of the Seventh's advisor. Mirai Sarutobi was quite an ordinary woman at a glance, but she had many successes under her belt even discounting her connections.<p>

After the attack of the last Otsutsuki, not many major battles took place on the continent other than Orochimaru's renewed desire for another Rinnegan bearer. Nevertheless, it was quite a battle, with many skirmishes at the border of the Land of Rice.

When Sasuke Uchiha disbanded his group, the members went back to Orochimaru. Though they were not very honest of it, they actually saw the snake Sannin as a savior of some sort. Sasuke more or less had abandoned them, even before his reconcilement with Konoha, and the only place that would accept them was Orochimaru.

It was unsurprising that battle would be headed by the ex-Taka.

Their sensei was there when the battle raged. She was an eleven year old Chunin at the time, but her skill was quite famous. Maybe the stories about the Sarutobi having a Hiden to transfer countless elemental jutsu to their descendants were not so bogus after all. In the battle Mirai had shown incredible strength and skill more than many other Jounin. Even with her rank, she led the charge to the North Hideout of Otogakure even when there were more experienced shinobi present. The one who killed the renegade Hozuki was her.

But reputation meant nothing to fledging Genin, fresh from the academy. Even to the son of Hokage, children were generally shielded away from politics of the village and thus they didn't really understand stories about even the most infamous of the shinobi. What Boruto really knew about this Sarutobi was that she was the daughter of his mother's sensei. And that sucked because now she would see just how much a moron he actually turns out to be.

She had been part of some of the family outings and the impression he got from her was quite ordinary. A kind young Mirai (future), but didn't show much other than her clear intelligence.

Not that it was a complete loss. Sarada was excited at their female sensei, as it proved the supremacy of feminism even among the quite misogynistic society as the shinobi world. Why? Of course because most of the famous big names of the past were males. She was looking up at strong women figures, and Mirai was strong alright.

"A little gloomy, Boruto-kun. Do you dislike the arrangement?"

"Nah, I'm just thinking whether I should be happy it's Mirai-san who becomes our sensei, or should be embarrassed that it's Mirai-san who becomes our sensei."

"Ah, I think I get it. Mirai-san is almost like an aunt to you, as Hinata-san is quite close with Kurenai-san."

"Yeah... Showing Mirai-san just how uncool you really are is like you're running in a family gathering while you're only in your underwear. Ah, I guess it's Mirai-sensei now."

"Boys and their obsession with just how cool they are... How stupid can you be?" Sarada sniffed the air haughtily. "It will be better if we prove to her that we really are a great team. Solidarity between cellmates, comrades above glory, fortitude against all odds, are those things drilled into your heads everyday? And now you're worrying about just how big your muscles can be just to impress some bimbo our sensei definitely is not?"

"... She's right." Fuhan finally spoke. Sarada huffed, satisfied, while Boruto sulked.

"But still..."

"No whining. We can prove ourselves cool after we pass the test."

"So our ice queen Sarada is not entirely opting out from showing off and being part of our scheme? As expected of an Uchiha, I guess."

Sarada's brow twitched. She strolled closer to where Boruto was sitting and stood straight up in front of him. The position was perfect to look down on her conversation partner, and she did just that. Boruto on the other hand lacked any motivation to play into her hand, instead leaned back into his propped elbows and threw her a smug smirk. His stance was a clear disrespect; his delinquent appearance was supported by his delinquent action.

But Sarada was undeterred.

"I'm a true Konoha shinobi, just so you know. My strength is the village's strength."

"But you're so driven up to the wall when we're just talking about some meaningless fun." Boruto dragged his words in a little singsong, and it infuriated Sarada more. "Are you sure it's not just for something else?"

"Why you...!"

"Boruto-kun, Sarada-san, that's enough."

Suddenly, Fuhan was in the between of them. Each of his palms were open in front of his teammates' faces. The speed startled the two, but the distraction evaporated any remaining hostility among them. Now the two of them had realized just what they had done, and now lowering their head in shame.

"We should not fight."

The two nodded at their teammate's words.

When Mirai arrived at the training field, the three were sharing their belated breakfast. Just some rice balls and water, but they ate it with quite gusto. The Jounin sensei smirked at the somewhat domesticated view, a little guilty to shatter it.

Oh, well...

She flickered into their line of sight.

Boruto raised an eyebrow, and said "You're late, Sensei. What's holding you?"

Mirai smirked a little, "Just need some clearance for what I'm going to do to you."

"A Genin test that need another clearance?" Sarada was alarmed immediately. The test should already have the Hokage's approval. For the Jounin sensei to ask another should only mean...

"The Hokage had allowed me to use the training ground 44 to my heart's content. Genin, be prepared to meet your ancestor if you're not ready. I will not accept any excuse."

**88888**

It was only right in the border of Amegakure's wall the weather started to get worse.

Incredible, Hinata thought. It was like the village has its own atmosphere as not even the surrounding vicinity beyond the walls was drenched.

She had never gone to Ame, or even the land of Rain in general, because of the lack of importance of the village toward the overall politics between the nations. After the destruction of Akatsuki, which was succeeding the death of Hanzo, the village had lost their prominent leader figures and was slowly wasting away under the lack of care from a strong governmental structure. But with the raise of the new feudal lords, the situation might quickly change.

She had heard about Konan. The last of the true Akatsuki, guardian of their sacred tomb. Of course Naruto put two and two together when Obito came with Rinnegan. It had meant that Konan had failed to stop Obito from gouging out Nagato's eyes, which meant Konan had been killed. No one had ever heard about Ame's activities since then, not even one of their ninja attended the Chunin Exam the following years afterward. But because no one really realized of this lost, no one really cared.

Like a small rock in the sideway, unnoticed. Until someone tripped over it, at least.

Waiting on the gate of the wall was a small girl with black hair. Her smile was wide and cheerful, her red clothes and green hat stood out in the otherwise grayscale landscape of this dreary village. When she noticed the envoys from Konohagakure, her smile got even wider and she run up to them.

"Are you from Konoha?"

The entourage quickly flashed their headbands and the invitation scroll for the meeting. The agreement for said meeting was sent immediately after Konoha council was mulling over any advantage and disadvantage of said alliance. The message was sent and the message was answered, along with a scroll that allow the shinobi of Konoha to pass through Ame's wall.

But the girl only skimmed the scroll with disinterest, before snapping her fingers and burning the scroll. The sole Chunin of Konoha entourage was immediately jumped at the clear disrespect of their potential ally, only to be held off by Kiba.

The fire changed its color after a moment. The previously red turned orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and then purple. Its smoke rose up in a strange manner, swirling and making a vague letters. The girl nodded.

"Welcome in Amegakure, Hyuuga-san and company. I will direct you to Yukari-sama."

The wall didn't have a door. According to Jiraiya's notes when he infiltrated this village, the shinobi came out of the wall through underwater canals that connecting the village and the lakes around it. Passages that went underneath the walls and no way in except for those paths and above the wall were the reason why the village was almost invulnerable against larger nations' sieges.

But with a signal from this girl, a Doton tunnel raised from under the walls and trenches. Amegakure was already preparing for the diplomats, swimming under the wall just to get inside was indeed quite unbecoming for the honored envoys. With a trained bow, the girl was signaling her guests to follow her.

The village was that of high towers from solid metals, somehow never rusting after all these rains, depicting strangely morbid monuments and faces. Almost no wooden structure along the street, only the oppressively tall forest of towers.

But their escort was enough a sun to brighten the small circle over them. She chattered with each one of the envoys, answering questions unless it directed about the overall ability of the village. From that, Hinata found her name was Chen, daughter of Ran who was daughter of Yukari, one of the new lords of this land. The entire troupe of industrialists and even several smaller villages under these lords were called by Ame shinobi to strengthen their village through a forgotten contract. Thus, the new Amegakure was born.

Chen directed them to a tower more mundane in shape than the others. No moss on its wall, which mean it was built only awhile ago. The interior was a lot warmer, in atmosphere and in color. Blue silk and red carpet, fireplace behind the meeting table, people who filling the table were welcoming them with friendly smile. At least, it was on the surface.

The woman on the head of the table was a devious one. Her poise was elegant and eyes were intelligent, but unlike some upstart, her thought was almost unreadable. Elegance and intelligence were always equal cunning schemer if those qualities were in a person, always can sweet walk everyone and anyone while playing everyone with her strings.

Who are you, Yukari Yakumo? Who are you and what are you planning for this alliance?

From Ame side, there were three people, only one visibly a shinobi. A blond woman Hinata was sure was Yukari, a girl with purple hair who should not be older than eighteen, and a male ninja with face scarred by branding irons. Yukari snapped her fan shut and gestured Hinata to take a seat. She accepted, while her companies were standing behind her on watch and speaking only in need.

"Let's begin with introduction, shall we?" the blond woman smiled cheekily, "My name is Yukari Yakumo, though if Chen is the one who escort you, you might already guess that. I'm the representative of Gensokyo as a whole."

This woman was too young, or at least looked too young when you knew Tsunade beforehand, to have a granddaughter. Though not as vain as the former Hokage to set her age in young adult appearance, this woman was still beautiful though visibly middle-aged. Lips full and rosy, eyes slightly mischievous though visibly smart, with dress that was strange compared to others in the same room; she was the most standing out person by many miles.

"I'm Akyuu of the Hieda. Though a daimyo, I'm not exactly the village leader. I'm here as his proxy and the chronicler for this meeting." The purple haired girl nodded at her.

Intelligent beyond her age, but definitely more honest than Yukari, she was just as she had described. A chronicler was first and foremost the bringer of truth through their texts. History might be written by the winner, but the true scribes lacked the desire to manipulate the way history went. Akyuu peered at her, curious at her eyes. Had she never seen a Byakugan before? Then, it was true these people came from afar, away from shinobi culture.

"I guess it's my turn, then." The male shinobi coughed into his hand, "My name is Yori, representative of Amegakure shinobi. That is all you need to know."

Hostile from the start – as expected of Ame ninja. Almost his entire form was concealed, including his face, but it was difficult to ignore those scars on his cheek to his temple. A remnant from the third war? Then the hostility he displayed was justified and even understandable. That war was an embarrassing part of Konoha's record, a war that was started by Konoha because Hiruzen was indecisive and Danzo was power-hungry. Hinata prayed she would not make any mistake in this.

"My name is Hinata Hyuuga. I'm here as the representative of Konohagakure, as Hokage-sama is incapable of leaving the village with the Chunin Exam just several weeks away. As the message you already received had informed you, first I would like to ask your stance over Konan-san's offer of alliance about twelve years ago."

Yori chuckled bitterly. "Quickly to the point, Hyuuga-san? But were you informed that Lady Angel was killed in defense of Pain-sama's body?"

"Information from your village was quite difficult to gain, especially about your leaders, but Hokage-sama had his suspicion after receiving no word from Konan-san."

"I see..." It was obvious that he didn't expect the Hokage to notice this kind of thing. After Pain and Konan invaded Konoha, most Ame citizens were expecting a more volatile reaction from Konoha than from other villages. Even when Konan had ensured that Konoha would be Ame's ally, everyone was skeptical of it.

No one had not heard about the Seventh Hokage. A war hero who saved the world from utter destruction and defeating many adversaries through sheer determination and strong conviction, the name Naruto Uzumaki was equivalent of that the Sage of Six Path in many corner of the nations for uniting the continent under each other's good will. It was just in places away from others, his influence was minimum and his exploits were dismissed as propaganda.

But now, an Ame shinobi had a small hint of those stories, and it was enough to overwhelm him. Now he was trying to consol his new knowledge and with his thought about his revenge, and it caused him to get driven speechless. Hinata tilted her head, didn't really understand such extreme a reaction.

"Yori."

Yukari's voice snapped him out of his trance. He flicked his eyes to Yukari, who only glanced at him lazily. Hinata noticed a small shiver run down from his arm. Again, he coughed into his gloved hand.

"Well, then... I would like to know some proof of Konoha's good will. I heard the Hokage always keep his word, and I would like to always uphold what our long since passed leaders wanted from us. Konoha was quite famous for its literary works and education curriculums. We would like to implement your system into our own, as a start."

"That's quite a demand, Yori-san. Those are not something that we will give freely, as those things are the base of our educational system and ideals since the time of the Second Hokage. What's your offer in exchange of our exports?"

"Holy silk and liquor made by our shrine maidens, pottery and bountiful harvest even in winter, along with secure travel road around our territory. And it's just the start." Yukari quipped fast before Yori could speak, her fan over her mouth. "Those items maybe more in the feudal lords' taste, but we're willing to give them as the price for your scribes' works. One thousand each from us for one thousand books of each from you. Is that enough?"

"Yukari-sama! Isn't that-" Yukari silenced him by raising her hand over his face.

"A little sacrifice won't harm anyone, no? After all, good will should not come just from one side of an alliance. This time, that exchange is what we will offer, and not the next. But of course, we will talk again about it in the next meeting."

"I see. But we have to test the quality of the shipments ourselves first."

"Very well. We have prepared for you a feast later just for that reason. Your travel should have exhausted you, let Chen escort you to your hotel. We will inform you when the feast is ready."

As on cue, Chen suddenly flickered to view beside Hinata. With an enthusiastic cheer, she metaphorically pulled the guests with her.

When the Konoha shinobi were out of the room, Yukari quickly erected a barrier surrounding the vicinity before turning to the sole man in the table.

"You have a second thought, boy?"

"N-No! I just never thought they will..."

"Murderous? Power-hungry? Making sure everyone chaffing under their iron fist?" Yukari snorted, "Is your opinion going to change with just a meeting with their envoy? Are you sure that's what they truly are?"

Yori was about to deny it, but then he put more thought about it and decided to say, "What if that's how they are? What if they really want us to cooperate?"

"And what if they don't? Will you walk into their trap and let yourself helpless? If you're smart, you will at least take some precaution against outside threat. And yet, here you are... waiting to be slaughtered."

Clear bait, so obvious even from the first glance. But he had no counter argument; as he knew everytime there was a peace treaty between the nations, it got violated as easily when the situation was convenient. Just how easily the war declarations get thrown around, many were trying to gain as much as they could from the ensuing in-fighting at expense of the weaker nations. The First Kazekage was a good man, but many disliked him for asking compensation for his desert-dwelling people even though it was making sense. For demanding a better life for his people, First Mizukage was calling the First Shinobi War on First Kazekage, which caused great damage on all nations and the death of both the Kazekage and the Hokage.

Their spies brought news that Iwa's militarization had never ceased like it was first reported caused paranoia among the smaller villages around the territory, including Ame. Though it was still unknown what the Fourth Tsuchikage's stance, it could be suspected that the woman was in it. Whether it was Iwa or Konoha, some back-up plans were needed, just in case.

"Give me more time to think, Yukari-sama."

He might not be a fountain of wisdom and knowledge like the women in front of him, but he wasn't a fool like many people thought. This yokai in front of him had no reason to fan the flame of grudge, but she had no real reason to aid him either. Yukari dismissed him with a wave of her hand, and he quickly made himself scarce to gather his people's voices.

The two Gensokyan watched him leave. Only when his presence completely ceased, Akyuu was openly glaring at the boundary youkai.

"Why?"

A short question, but was enough to vocalize the utter contempt of the young Miare. Behind her, the air shifted as it spat out the vigilantes of the human village. The Grassroot Network might be full of youkai, but their outmost desire was the protection of human village and its residents. On Akyuu's left and right, Keine and Mokou stood. Yukari only smirked at the entrance.

"Aren't you the one who scoffed at Hijiri's ideal? That youkai and human can live in peace and harmony? In a way, I'm doing what I should be doing. The punishment for these shinobi's insolence, our end of this contract, the incident that will clash us in conflict, and... A reason of my own."

"This contract is not that much a problem for the Hakurei Barrier, other than this world's lack of information about youkai. In fact, the only youkai recorded in the history is a satori that was nothing like a satori."Keine retorted back. Akyuu glanced at her, slightly surprised at this bit of trivia, but quickly leveled her eyes back to Yukari.

"Are you planning to turn this world into 'Gensokyo' using these people?"

Akyuu demanded through her gritted teeth. The boundary youkai only gazed back at her, but her eyes softened.

"A toad in a well, drinking everything it heard about the ocean. Even when it's not true."  
>The Child of Miare was taken aback.<br>"What do you mean? Are you telling me not to trust anyone?"

"Only about this world, and my reason for staying here at this moment. Shouldn't you ask it to the one who experienced it directly? About our predicament now, I mean. A certain shrine maiden should do..."

The next second, Yukari blinked out of existence, leaving both confused and curious Akyuu with her thoughts.

**88888**

The next day was the flower viewing day, and accordingly Hakurei Shrine had arranged a great festival. People of Eientei and Scarlet Mansion had researched the world's constellations and both factions had made their separate conclusions that this world also obeying the same astronomical system as their previous outside world, thus their calendar could still be used. A serious question for many reasons, the vacation schedule was one of them.

After two days full of investigation and stealth to other villages, everyone wanted nothing but some good drinks, fights, and maybe bedmates for the night.

Though the festivity could do nothing but prove the shrine as youkai's place to gamboling around, for some reason Hakurei shrine maiden kept arranging the event. Still, it was this kind of crowd where Reimu can spill most information. As the rose hermit once said, "With enough flattery, Reimu will certainly become careless". One reason for this festival was technically to advertise the shrine in the first place, though the result could not be more a failure than it was before.

And so, in amidst of drunkards both human and youkai alike, Akyuu navigated herself through a slew of laughing, singing, and playing music crowd to the center of the festival, where the shrine maiden and many of Gensokyo's big names were having merry.

"Ah, what's with the honor of having the Child of Miare in my shrine ground?" Reimu exclaimed when she spotted Akyuu, her voice gathering quite an attention. Her face was rosy and her tone was slightly slurred, but she was still quite sober especially with that clear mock respect aimed at the younger girl. Akyuu decided to let it be, and instead seated herself beside Marisa who was sitting beside Reimu.

"Our guests from Konohagakure came and in the diplomatic meeting, I come to realize something strange about the youkai sage."

"Directly to the hard stuff, Akyuu?" Marisa laughed, "And what's so strange with Yukari acting strange? In fact, we should be more worried if she acts serious. Like the time when that celestial leveled the shrine."

"Not funny, Marisa." Reimu growled at her friend. Akyuu then raised her hands to calm her down.

"Not that kind of strange. I mean confusing, like she's speaking in contradiction. And when I asked her about it, she told me to find you."

"Really? About what are you asking Yukari?"

"About our current condition. About how this land got summoned into some other world with different record than we had. And how it connected to Yukari-san's personal goal." Akyuu scoffed, "She didn't tell you anything about those, no?"

"No."

"Then I wonder why-"

"At least, I know just this incident is not the first time."

That immediately attracted most of the attending guests' attention. Marisa, suddenly grew nervous, waved her hands in front of her.

"Well, you know... Places like Higan and Makai and Bhava Arga are technically other worlds, so incident like this is not exactly new."

"Nothing can compare to the stealing of the Great Barrier, though. If it's simply crossing the border, then we have many cases of people coming and going inside Gensokyo almost every month." Akyuu pointed out the obvious. Marisa was about to retort when Reimu held up her hand. Marisa disapproved at the unspoken signal, but conceded at the end.

"We're talking about the breach of the Barrier that is so huge, it alters the shape of the Barrier permanently. Everything about it was distorted by its mere presence, no exact record about it can be found because the incident maker was so powerful... though I had suspicion about who helped her hide it."

"Yukari Yakumo?"

"Like I said, it's just a suspicion."

Reimu waved her hand dismissively. But everyone knew; Hakurei's intuition never wrongs. The fact that Reimu said it was _her _suspicion confirmed the boundary youkai's involvement. But something didn't add up from it.

"Then why keeping it a secret? If Marisa went that far to cover it up..."

"Then the incident was world-class threat? Yes." Marisa scratched the back of her head, "Long story short, she got pissed that she lost the last duel and threatened to crush the Great Barrier along with the outside world. Her number two got pissed that she didn't honor the term of duel and knocked some sense into her. She didn't go through with her threat and agreed to leave, but not without taking some chunk of Gensokyo along with her."

"You know those strange patterns on Genbu Ravine that gave the place its name? The entire landscape was where Yumemi parked her ship and then took with her. Though it got waved by Youkai Mountain natives as Genbu's mess, that's not the truth. The place was a large hole on the Barrier for quite some time before Yukari patched it up with some help from the gods know where. Something about the boundary of 'dream' and 'reality' that then messed up people's perception in similar way as Satori's sister. If we talk about it publicly, imagine the panic." Reimu finished, then she took a large gulp from her saucer.

"And yet, you talked about it publicly now..." Patchouli jabbed at her.

"It's about the Barrier's safety after this summoning, asked directly by the Child of Miare with possibility that we might have to face Yumemi again? Screw the regulation, then."

"Incredible..." Sanae gaped at the story, "To think that huge a terraforming existed before we moved in and ship that can travel spaces, this Yumemi should have been coming from a world that far more advance than present's outside world."

"And this blur between magic and technology is just like what Patchouli had theorized. It had happened far before she had patented the finding?" Alice rubbed her chin, a little lost.

"The chronology of the incident was before the Lake of Blood incident, so those who came to Gensokyo after that time should be more clueless about it than even the locals. From books I borrowed from Patchouli, I guess not all the memories about the incident vanished to thin air, but instead feeling like some sort of deja vu."

"And you still need to return those books."

"I'm not dead yet."

Akyuu on the other hand still had not satisfied with the story.

"I don't get it. Why Yukari-san let something that serious like that happened? There's no one loves the existence of this barrier more than her."

"May I have a word about this?" Remilia suddenly spoke from her designed place. Akyuu warily stared at her before allowing the vampire to speak. Remilia nodded, "Maybe it's just a speculation, but from the extent Reimu and Marisa are talking about this incident, then we can make conclusion that Yukari knew this 'Yumemi'."

"Why?" Akyuu asked with a raised eyebrow. Remilia only smugly smirked.

"There another incident that almost destroy the stability of Gensokyo, and get away with Yukari's wrath unlike the celestial or the amanojaku."

Marisa gasped, "The Spring Snow Incident...!"

"That's right. I don't think the fact that ghost princess being the prep of the incident go without any sort of punishment and the fact that Yuyuko is the Gap Youkai's friend are mutually exclusive. In fact, it can be said that Yukari herself facilitate Yuyuko to execute the incident while at the same time trying to solve it through proxies, which are Reimu, Marisa, and my head maid, by spreading the trail of spring essences."

"Wait, are you telling me that Yukari and Yumemi are friends?!" Reimu, trying to digest the information, exploded in many emotions. Only at this moment, when the whispers were directed to them, everyone realized that no people of the Yakumo nor Hakugyokuro present in this festival. Remilia shrugged, before mimicking Reimu's tone.

"Like I said, it's all speculation. But does make sense, no? The thing about how and where those two met isn't important, but the method how those Amegakure ninja summoned the entire Gensokyo to this world might be the same one Yumemi used to carve out the ravine, but only in larger scale."

"Yukari-san's trying to find her friend, so that's the reason why she decides to stay here a bit longer?"

"Don't ask me. We still don't really have any proof."

**88888**

After many donations to bribe the Hakurei Shrine, Akyuu finally gained the supposed missing incident. Though many truths of incidents were deliberately covered up by several power-players to prevent mass panic among the human populace, Reimu and Marisa was right when they said as long the Child of Miare directly asked for it, then it was no longer worth to keep as a secret.

Though it clawed in Akyuu's mind just how many incidents were covered up, with many new faces appeared to take their place in Gensokyo's politic. She heard from Kosuzu that the Noh dancer in the Hakurei Shrine turned out to be a youkai, with seemingly supports from both Buddhist and Taoist factions. And it surely begged for question just what had happened between those three, especially with Toyosatomimi who allegedly sided with human, to set this up.

The incident, that was called by those who knew it as the Ruin Race Incident, was started by an Outside World scientist named Yumemi Okazaki and her assistant Chiyuri Kitashirakawa in their attempt to prove that magic exists. Luring several natives with promise of wish if they reach the end of the Genbu Ruin, the true nature of the race was to capture specimens from Gensokyo for their experiment of magic.

Three people had reached the end of the ruin and found out about the truth after the two outsiders had captured the losers. Reimu and Marisa were to be expected, but the identity of the last winner was staunchly hidden by the two rivals like some kind of sacred go-shintai, and the three fought the scientists who had imbued themselves with artificial magics and weapons.

Knowing the kappa, it might be true that not all knowledge about the incident disappeared from the natives' memories.

The scientists lost but just as Marisa had said, Yumemi was unusually and surprisingly angered at her defeat and threatened to destroy both Gensokyo and the Outside World. It was only at Chiyuri's urging Yumemi backed out from her plan, released her prisoners, and conceded to grant the trio their wishes. Reimu got a living golem maid, Marisa got a weapon, while the mysterious person was granted a physical body. Reimu and Marisa grew bored with their wishes and returned their gifts when Yumemi went back to the Outside World.

Their fate afterward was unknown, but it seemed several of their prisoners had followed the ship on their free will.

As the ship was a ship that punched holes through the dimensional barrier, simply by coming and going Gensokyo it had damaged the form of the barrier. Though reason why Yumemi tore the ravine was unknown, Reimu suggested that maybe it was just to vent off her frustration for her failure. A petty vengeance, you could say. Akyuu couldn't exactly call it petty, so maybe the reason was flying over the two's heads.

The reason why their memories were gone was also unknown. Though she had thought Keine had something to do with it, it didn't sound like something that Keine would do.

Akyuu walked to her home in a slight daze, drowned in her thought. In the front yard, her older sister of ten years sat, drinking her tea. She spent no time to greet the older woman; she knew from the soft clanking sound of metal, her sister was in her more lucid moment. She slipped pass servants and elders alike, ignoring their greetings, and slid open the door of her study.

Yuuka Kazami was already there.

Akyuu froze, fear gripped her heart and started squeezing. The old youkai smiled her usual pleasant smile, knowingly taunting the Hieda child with her sheer reputation. Akyuu gulped her saliva, and tried to speak in the most diplomatic voice she could.

"Anything I can help you with?"

The flower youkai dragged a long hum, before she finally answered.

"Just want to aid you a little. I visited the shinobi village in the Land of Fire to scout a little, and I think I came across an interesting bit of detail in their most recent record. I heard the ruckus in Hakurei Shrine over your demand about the ruin incident, and I think you have to see this."

Yuuka threw her a scroll, which she caught with ease. A quick glimpse of the content was enough to send alarm into Akyuu's head.

"This is...!"

"As you can expect, those Ame ninja are indeed trashes who don't understand just what kind of power they had playing with. That note I copied into that scroll was written by the current Hokage who has field experience of this matter, so the accuracy is 100%."

It was a generous offer. But it instead only sounded her alarm even more. This youkai was Yuuka Kazami, who invaded Makai just to mess with its goddess, who accepted accusations in the Higan Flower Incident just to pick fights. She knew about the rumor spreading in the Shrine's flower viewing party, thus she knew what she thought about the entire possibility from the stealing of Hakurei Barrier. So, the Hieda child came to conclusion.

"Do you want me to come in conflict with the Gap Youkai?"

"My, catching on already? As expected of the Child of Miare."

"Why?"

"No other reason, really. I actually visited the village to watch the cherry blossom of this new world, but they too are the same as Gensokyo's so I came back to get some free sake from Red-White. But knowing the gap youkai, I give you some mercy from future pain."

"What do you mean? You don't believe that Yukari is searching for this Yumemi in this world? The scroll seems to confirm this theory."

"If you think so, then you don't know who Yukari Yakumo actually is. If an ordinary person do something for a reason, then the gap youkai will do the same action with three ulterior motives trailing behind. I thought she admitted that much?"

"Ah."

She was right; Yukari admitted that much. The festivity of the rumor had swept her away from the most blatant motives Yukari had for the contract. Coming in conflict with the natives was but one of the reasons, but the possible conclusion that could be taken from the situation would only mean...

"The Youkai Expansion Project." Yuuka confirmed her suspicion, "The very reason realm of Gensokyo was created is to become the paradise of youkai in face of the human population that keeps growing and keeps disbelieving the existence of youkai. With a different circumstance for our Outside World, the realm of Gensokyo might not be needed anymore as long as the existence of fantasy is sustained by supernatural of the Outside."

"And this world has enough supernatural to go around... But that's absurd!" Akyuu slammed her hand to her sliding door, her disbelief outweighing her fear to the youkai that became her conversation partner. "Are you telling me that Yukari Yakumo is seriously considering waging war with these shinobi to establish more territory in the Outside? Was the war against the moon people not enough a lesson to her?"

At this, Yuuka roared with laughter. A high-pitched laugh that immediately raised the hair on the Hieda's arms, the laugh that made her conscious of just who she had speaking with. After slightly calming down, Yuuka opened an eye to stare at her. A single red eye among the green.

"Do you think she didn't expect that?"

The Genso-Lunar War was a war from more than one thousand years ago. Yukari along with a group of impudent youkai invaded the Lunar Capital through the reflection of the moon on the Misty Lake. The invasion was a terrible failure, with the army of youkai that wasn't organized, and only in it for glory verse the Lunarians' superior technology which quickly tore through the ranks of youkai. The incident made Yukari's name infamous, and also killed any attempt of expansion for the youkai.

"Give too much power to someone, and they will grow pompous. Give them too little, and they will waste away. The reason the invasion was a failure is because the gap youkai deemed the youkai were too strong at that time. But the circumstance has changed, factions start appearing like flowers in the spring. Soon everyone will start rubbing shoulder with everybody else, and Gensokyo's power balance will implode on itself."

Akyuu fell to her knees, drained out of her strength. Though the youkai in front of her was famous for her 'daily teasing', no one could deny her age meant endless experience and knowledge like the certain blond boundary youkai. With Yukari holding most control over the relation with the Outside, it was easy to provoke conflict with any nation she wished. Suddenly trapped in a possible war after years of peace, it just came to her just how easy the human had after the treaty of Spell Card Rules. Yuuka stared down at the Hieda, her single eye unblinking.

"I'm waiting for your part in this hell, Hieda no Akyuu. Don't disappoint me."

Her exist was unnoticed by anyone just like her entrance. But Akyuu didn't care of that at all.

**88888**

**Thanks for my beta's hard work, Suryn, this fanfic has a better quality in it.**

**I think the integration of worlds in crossover is essential to make or break the story, and the entire chapter 2 will be devoted to that reason as the most of the story will be seen from _Naruto_ characters' point of view who in grand scheme of things are quite ignorant.**

**And Suryn asked several questions regarding the world, so I decide to put them in here.**

**Q. I admit this is mostly something I picked up through osmosis is that Sasuke kills/asborbs Orochimaru?**  
><strong>A. Orochimaru survives at the end of <em>Naruto<em>, and since his fate afterward is not shown, I assume he gets away from any sort of punishment (through the combination of after-war disorientation between nations and the ex-Taka aiding his escape after Sasuke doesn't need them anymore) and restarts Otogakure.**

**Q. I was under the impression that daimyo was the equivalant to a king. Am I missing something here?**  
><strong>A. Daimyo to Akyuu is more like today's Emperor of Japan; a figurehead with minister that has the final say on everything. In the human village, the Hieda is just like that, with the every decisions for the village are made by the Kirisame. The other daimyo in <em>Naruto <em>world are like petty king, while Yukari's 'daimyo' is more like Gensokyo's despot no matter what the other faction leaders think (though a very lazy one who give most of the job to her 'daughter').**

**Q. Has the council made a verdict? when did the agreement for the meeting come in reference to thinking about it?**  
><strong>A. This case is like the 'Sixth Hokage candidate' fiasco with Danzo. Though uniform opinion is what makes the law, decision can be made through either of these things; popular approval of the Jounin, the village elders' shady and questionable scheme, and daimyo along with his posse's verdict. All of these three making up Konoha council, contrary to what most <em>Naruto <em>fanon thinks. Even though the entire council doesn't really united in their opinion, fast decision is sometime needed and just one of these three is enough to issue a decree (future consequence be damned at least for now).**

**In this, popular approval of the Jounin speaks the loudest and the fastest because Naruto as Hokage has Konoha 11 as his Jounin in speedcall, so Konoha envoys go to Ame is to secure possible alliance even though in future the elders or the daimyo might or might not do something that dismiss such decision. You can say Naruto's temper is still as hot as ever when it comes to befriending other nations, he disregards many procedures just to do so.**

**Another things to note;**

*** Though it's not very obvious (mostly because they look perpetual teenager), Reimu and Marisa are older than Akyuu. From Perfect Memento, it's clear that Akyuu was preteen, while those two are already looking like they usually are. Kanako's testimony in Symposium makes explicit 6 years has passed from Mountain of Faith to Symposium so obviously the time goes by since. I'll take Reimu's age in Urban Legend as 26, Marisa as 25, and Akyuu (makes explicit by the newpaper article of her birth) as 20.**

*** Subterranean Animism confirmed Yukari as one of the youkai sages. Though in canon there's no confirmation of which one of the youkai power-players are the other youkai sages, I'm making something up. Who are those, that's kinda spoiler.**  
><strong>I'd like to make a point about this one part. Gensokyo natives rarely use name when talking about someone, and usually use their features or job to describe them.<strong>

*** It's clear that most incidents' truth (Imperishable Night and Hopeless Masquerade to name some) are not exactly like how it appears to be, so the event of Dim Dream not the only one.**

**And for_ New Universe Returns_ who seems pretty far behind with the manga. Though you can easily see it with Google and the Wiki, I guess since you asked me;**

**Yes, the manga has ended, but the anime still has several arcs of fillers before the finale arc it seems, with the focus of Chunin Exam and in it several familiar faces doing taking the exam. The Last movie is basically the distant finale of Naruto and the connecting arc between chapter 699 and 700. If you're not NaruHina shipper, then I think you shouldn't watch it.**


End file.
